1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device having a so-called direct-type backlight.
2. Description of the Related Art
With respect to a liquid crystal display device, along with a demand for the large-sizing of a liquid crystal display panel, as a backlight, a so-called direct-type backlight which can make a planar light source uniform has been used.
In such a backlight, a plurality of fluorescent lamps is uniformly arranged in plane which faces the liquid crystal display panel. As a fluorescent lamp, there has been known a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and an external-electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL). Out of these fluorescent lamps, the external-electrode fluorescent lamp is configured such that a plurality of external-electrode fluorescent lamps is supported on a casing-shaped base having a reflection means on an inner surface thereof by way of a pair of electrode fittings.
The electrode fitting also has a function of supplying a power source to the external-electrode fluorescent lamp, and a portion of the electrode fitting on which the electrode of the external-electrode fluorescent lamp is formed is constituted of a bifurcated fitting member which can clamp peripheral side surfaces of the electrode from opposing sides.
Here, it is necessary to ensure the reliable electrical connection between the electrodes of the external-electrode fluorescent lamps and the electrode fittings. This is because that even when such electrical connection is not sufficient with respect to one external-electrode fluorescent lamp by a chance, the uniformity of the light source as the planar light source is damaged.
In view of the above, there has been known a liquid crystal display device which arranges a plurality of electrode fittings in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the external-electrode fluorescent lamps for each electrode of the external-electrode fluorescent lamp. In this case, even when the connection failure occurs with respect to one electrode fitting out of a plurality of electrode fittings, the electrical connection is ensured by other remaining electrode fittings.
A liquid crystal display device having such a constitution is, for example, disclosed in the following patent document 1.
[Patent document 1] JP-A-2005-347259 (corresponding US application US2005/0265047A1)